Drive-chain.



No. 898,780. PATENTED JULY'zl,y 1908. w. M.8UTLER 88 W.,J. BBLGHER.

DRIVE CHAIN.V APPLICATION FILED rima. 8, 1808.

, To all whom it may concern:

UNITED STATES PAENT FFE,

WILLIAM M, BUTLER vAND WARREN I. BELGHER, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTIUT, ASSIGNORS TO THE WHITNEY MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A (JOR- PORATION.

DRIVE-CHAIN.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patentes July 21, ieee;

Application led. February 8, 1908. Serial No. 414,940.

Be it-.known that We, WILLIAM. M. BUTLER and WanREN J. BnLeninn, both citizens of the United States of America, residing at Hartford, in thecountypf Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented new and useful Improvements in Drive-Chains, ot

which the following is a specification.

experienced in 'attaching This invention relates to friction drivechains, the object of the invention being to improve the construction thereof in so far as it relates to the application to the links of a chain of a covering of some suitable material, as leather, to serve as an inclosing casing,` for said links, said material comingin fric/tional contact with the sides of a grooved pulley, and constituting the actual driving` element for the latter.

The use of an inextensible driving element, as a chain, is a practical necessity in many cases, and also in many cases it is undesirable to use the chain on sprocket-whcels as they are noisy and subject' to rapid wear, especially on high speeds. There have, therefore, been many attempts made to drive pulleys by providing chains with some pliable material which will permit their use on grooved pulleys which, in such case, are driven frictionally, lbut dilliculty has been a `lirictional covering to the chains in suc 1 manneras to prevent them from being torn olf, and in such manner as to permit them to run over pul leys of relatively small diameters, which necessitates the application to the links of the chain of a .covering material in separate pieces of relatively small size, and in no case wider than the links; Furthermore, it is dek sirable, in many cases, to provide the friction vto drive-chain with a smooth exterior surface erinit the application thereto of an idler pu ey, especial y when the chain. is run vertically.

This invention consists therefore in the provisionv of devices whereby relatively small,`

as Will 'revent the stri s from tearin'J out at P 1::

the oint of their attachment to the links, and whereby the covering strips/may also be quickly and cheaply applied and secured, this latter characteristic being ofthe greatest irnpertence commercially, for while many devices heretotore employed may make a de;

side plates as shown in sirable fastening,` as far as strength is concerned, they involve such an expenditure of labor ,in their aiplication -to a chain as to the relation ci' the fastening devices to the bottom of the groove in the pulley. lliig.v 3 is a plan view ot' the underside ol the chain showing the manner ot' applying the fasten ing devices to the covering material. Fig. l is a lan view of one of the covering pieces of leat er, which encircles the links of the chain. Fig. 5 is a perspective view, somewhat enlarged, ol `a portion of a chain show-H ing the covering material partly in section. Figs. 5, 7, and t5 are cross-sectional views oic a chain showing the successive steps-to be fol-- lowed in applying,l the covering strips to the ehain-links and in securinv them thereon.

Referring now to these drawings, the chain is made u I'of alternate blocks a and sideplates or hnks inthe latter being riveted to ythe blocks in the usual manner, but unlike the usual construction the side plates l) are extended beyond the lower or inner edge of the blocks, as indicated by b1, these extensions being inclined one towards the other shown in Figs. 2 and 5 clearly, the angle of inclination being the saine as that ot the sides of the groove of the driving pulley c.

against which they bear, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. The lower edges ol' these extensions 1 of the. side plates l) are provided with teeth d adapted to extend through the o posits edges of a piece of flexible trie tionaFniaterial c of a shape shown in Fig. 4,

substantially, which completely encircles the `chain inclosing the two oplpositcly located ig. 5, and )ortions of the contiguous ends o" the bloclrs o located between said side plates.

To facilitate the application of the flexible .frietional material e, shown in Fig'. 4, one of the ends of said stri has holes jf punched therein' for the reception of the teeth d on the inner edge of one of the side pistes b ot the chain, the op osito end oi the frictionel inaterial being'shttcd, as at g, whereby in. apply'- dit ing the materiel to the chain that end rovided with the holes f may be first attac ed by forcing it down over the teeth d so that the letter will protrude therethrough, as shown in Fig. 6, the materiel e being then folded tightly over the upper end of the lside plates b es shown in Fig. 6, the teeth d oi the opposite side plete entering the slits g in the frictional materiel. ln this way one end of the frictional materiel e is held by the teeth on one side plate extend-ing through the holes f While the strip is drawn over the top of the ple s in 'close Contact with all parts thereof, end he other end of the materiel having the slits g therein is bent inward to bring this end of the frietionel materiel into close, or substentially ebiitting, relation to the o posite end thereof. While this end is thus .eld in e. suitable device mede for that purpose the locking-plete 71. is applied in such' manner that the ends of the teeth d extend through openings therein whereupon, by ineens of i suitable tool, the teeth on eech side )1ste are clenched over the locking ple-te hw ereby the two ends of the flexible frietionelrneteriel e ere rrnly secured together by the plete. The steps just described are illustreted clearly in Figs: 6, 7,' end S ofthe drewings,-F1g. 6 showing the materia-l just Wra ped around the plates, Fig. 7 showing the ticking-plete h a )plied thereto, and Fig. 8 showing the teeth clenched over theloek ing-plste- This, in a general wey, is the description of the fastening device for the two ends of the elrible rictionel material e end the manner of its s. plieation thereto.

Specifically, the ooking plate h (of thin sheet steel, preferebly,) has the two op osite borders thereof which are parallel wit the side plates, turned up substantially et yright angles to the body thereof, these bent up portions being indicated by m (see Figs. 5, 7, and 8) and the edgesthereof being serrated i or toothed, es at o, Fig. 5, the height of these serrated 'borders m being somewhat less,

`preferably, than the thickness of the fric tional rreterial e.

The borders of the locking plates 7L ere er-` foreted, es et p Fig. 3, to receive the teet d, end, es shown in the drawings, these 'performtions are preferably in the nature of slits enf tending from the borders inwardly towards the center of the plete, es when they ere mede in this way they are fer more easily and quickly placed in position :titer the covering materiel e hes been applied to the links, es in Fig. 6.

Fig. 7sl1ows the position of the locking plate h' relative to the inturned ends of the 'covering materiel c after the locking plete hss been e. lied thereto, end in this position e suites e tool is forced egeinst the locking late to sink the serrated borders of vthe zitter into the flexible meteriei end similiY teneously turn over end print the teeth d on 'one end end the slits g on the other, is desir- :ibis from many rpoints of view, it may be mede, if desired, with snts on both ends seegee the side pistes, this tool being so eonstruetedT preferably, es to tum the teeth et each end el the side pletes b in opposite directions. in this manner, (assuming, as is the in prize tice, that the covering materiel is securely 7 clamped to the side plates when .the perte ere in the position shown in Fig. 7,) the eetting oi 'the locking plete it inte the eei'itiguous ends of this covering materiel, es described, insures the fastening of seid nieteriei to the late while the materiel is tightly drewn over the letter; thus when the operation is cornu piet-ed, the result is e smoothly inrished :trticie of very neet sppeerenceof exceedingly strong end durable construction, ine-snineh Se es the underside of the chain is not intended to come in contest with the bottoni el.' the groei/eef the driving-puiley c. And rif-)ide from this constrietive edrentege, the appli cation of the covering materiel to the rhein 3,5 niey be etieeted so qniekiy es to ineke this 'forni of drive-chain e commercial eossii from the point of view oi the men if desired, e short tooth or teeth in formed on the upper edge .of the side p t es shown in dotted lines et g, Fig. 5, eid in the sectional views Figs. 6, 7, :ind 8, these `-teeth of course being inede of such, length 'es not to extend through the iiexible frietionei materiel es it is desirebie to keep the outer surface of the chain smooth and free frein eli obstructions to the end that en idier pub ley may be sppiied lo this surface ci the to be embedded in the ,covering materiel, any

J similar device having the seine eherecteristics would fell entirelyT Within the scope of the invention for the purpose described. Ihre thermore, While the covering materiel e, es described herein, provided with hoies f on thereof. i

A trietioindrive chsin comprising pijvi oteily connected elements, e. iiefiible covering strip extending transversely around each alternate element, end e fastening device to engage the abutting ends Aof erich .strip to tightly secure the covering strip to the inclosed rhein eieinent to prevent the letter from siipping.

2. A frietion-drive chein comprising pivoteiiy connected blocks sind sideepictes, e covering strip extending trensverseiy around eech set of sidepletes, end e fastening device to engage the abutting ends of each "strip, one edge of the side-plates constituting jpert of seid fastening device.

3. A hietion-drive @hein compi 'otally connected blocks and side-plates, e 'CQjeling'strip of flexible material extending transversely around enc-l1 set of the sideplates, and a fastening device consist-ing of e metal plete having serrated edges to engage the abutting ends of the covering strip; the sldeeplates being provided wlth ineens to secure the instelling device 1n operative position.

the abutting ends of each strip, said devil-n consisting of a metal plate having toothed 15 edges, one part of the, elements invlosml by' one of said strips extending tlnengli the strip and engaging the metal plate whei'eby the toothed edgeofthe plate may be embedded in the covering material.

WILLIAM M. BUTLER. VARREN J. BELCHER.

Witnesses:

C. S. WOODWARD1 JAS. W. GREEN. 

